The bonfire burned brightly, pushing back the cold that clung to the temporary camp. Flames crackled and danced, casting long shadows across the barren land. Compared to Konoha's greenery, everything out here looked desolate under the frosty moonlight.
Uchiha Hayashi sat with his small squad, enjoying a rare moment of quiet.
"Captain, you're too cunning."
Toru leaned forward, sniffing eagerly at the aroma of freshly packed rice. He eyed the hardened rations in his hand with clear disgust before looking at Hayashi's bento with open envy.
"Captain, you're eating a full meal while we're stuck with this. How can you stand watching us chew rocks?"
Hayashi shrugged calmly. "How is that my fault?"
Toru turned immediately to Himeji. "Himeji chan, look at him. The captain's bullying us."
He lifted the dry ration and tapped it against his palm. "Eating this at your age will turn you completely flat."
His gesture was exaggerated, dramatic as always.
Himeji paused, then replied in a serious tone, "It's alright. I'm confident in that area."
Hayashi almost choked on his rice. Was this really the usually expressionless Hyuga girl? For a moment, he wondered if she had been replaced by someone else. Then he remembered: Hinata Hyuga in the future had… impressive assets. Maybe Hyuga girls were naturally blessed in that department.
Noticing Hayashi's subtle lingering glance, Himeji slowly raised her head and stared at him blankly.
The air instantly grew awkward.
Hayashi wanted to explain that he was purehearted, completely clean in spirit, pure as the milk he drank. But the way Toru and Himeji were silently labeling him as suspicious made it impossible to defend himself.
With no other option, he cleared his throat and pulled out a scroll.
"Fine. I give up. I don't have much, so this will only cover a few meals."
"Captain, you're the best."
Toru snatched the scroll, unrolling it quickly. Four bento boxes popped out in small puffs of chakra smoke. He kept two for himself and handed one each to Himeji and his older brother.
"I remember that scroll," Toru said between enormous bites. "Wasn't it given to you by that Uchiha girl before you left?"
"Yeah. Mikoto's cooking is really good."
Toru nodded vigorously. "True… although Himeji's cooking isn't bad either."
Hayashi raised an eyebrow at that. He didn't expect the quiet Hyuga heiress to be skilled in the kitchen. Then again, with her independent and slightly awkward personality, it wasn't entirely surprising.
Hayashi leaned slightly closer to the fire. "Let's focus. We'll reach the main battlefield in two days. The supply transport team is extremely important. There's something I need to warn you about. Suna shinobi might attempt a surprise attack soon, so stay—"
Before he could finish, the ground trembled violently. A piercing alarm echoed through the night.
The shaking continued for several long seconds before settling. The squad immediately slipped into battlefield mode, weapons drawn, eyes scanning every direction.
Toru turned to Himeji. "Enemy attack?"
Himeji activated her Byakugan, veins swelling around her eyes. After a moment, she shook her head. "No enemies nearby."
Toru relaxed. "Then it's just a normal earthquake."
Hayashi's expression darkened.
He had felt this kind of chakra before.
Shukaku.
If this tremor was caused by the One Tail, it meant the beast had manifested somewhere in the Land of Rivers. And with the Byakugan's vision limited to a kilometer radius, Himeji couldn't detect something that far.
If Shukaku was really here… the situation was far more dangerous than he first assumed.
"You stay here."
With that, Hayashi sprinted toward Orochimaru's command tent.
---
In the center of the transport formation, Tsunade pushed open the tent flap and entered briskly.
Orochimaru looked up from a map, his voice low and hoarse. "How is it?"
"The reconnaissance squad sent ahead has confirmed it beyond doubt," Tsunade replied gravely.
"One Tail… Shukaku."
Orochimaru gestured for her to sit.
"It seems we can confirm the Third Kazekage's location," he said.
Tsunade shook her head. "The scouts didn't find him."
Orochimaru chuckled softly. "With his strength, hiding from reconnaissance is simple. Do not forget, he's a master of Magnet Release."
"Then what is his goal?" Tsunade asked. "If he intended to release a Tailed Beast, he would have chosen the battlefield, not a remote region like this. Is he trying to lure us here so he can attack the supplies?"
Orochimaru shook his head. "Illogical. Shukaku is far more valuable than anything we're transporting. He wouldn't risk losing a Tailed Beast."
Tsunade tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Then perhaps the beast wasn't released by him."
"If Shukaku appeared on its own, that explains why the Third Kazekage has been in the Land of Rivers for weeks. He's searching for it."
Her eyes lit up with realization.
Orochimaru nodded. "Exactly. Now consider this: how did Shukaku appear here?"
"Possibility one: the Jinchuriki escaped. But that's impossible. Hayashi witnessed Ebizo extract Shukaku from the host and seal it in the Teapot."
"Possibility two: Shukaku escaped from the Teapot."
Tsunade shook her head. "Also impossible. Our clan records mention that Teapot. It was said to belong to the Sage of Six Paths. Once something is sealed inside, it cannot escape unless unsealed from the outside."
Orochimaru folded his hands together. "Then only one possibility remains."
"The Suna shinobi encountered trouble while sealing Shukaku into a new host. The Jinchuriki died. With the host's death came Shukaku's temporary death. Then, for reasons unknown, the One Tail revived here in the Land of Rivers."
Piece by piece, the two reconstructed the entire chain of events. Even if some details were uncertain, Orochimaru was confident they were close to the truth.
Now a heavier question loomed:
Should they rush to stop the Third Kazekage from sealing Shukaku?
Or protect the vital supplies heading toward the battlefield?
Both mattered. Both were dangerous. For a long moment, the tent fell into heavy silence.
---